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NYdV Activity Reports 2004 04-06

May1: Spring Clean Up Day

I am Emiko Mizumura, the Tankentai (a group volunteer) Captain of the Spring Clean Up Day. I am reporting on the 10^th Annual Spring Clean Up Day that was organized by New York Cares on May 1^st . The venue was the Stockholm Family Residence Tier II Shelter in Brooklyn.

* Summary of the day
Contrary to our anticipations, this year's Spring Clean Up day took place not in a park but in a shelter. And our assignment was wall painting rather than cleaning up. In spite of the very early call time, a score of NYdV volunteers showed up right on time! Though two other groups were assigned to the same shelter besides NYdV, there were many more no-shows than expected for those groups, and hence the volunteers from NYdV ended up filling the whole place.

NYdV had prepared our own hand-outs introducing the shelter and the relevant organizations to the volunteers. We introduced staff members during the orientation, confirmed the time-table of the day, and made sure each participant understood the significance of the volunteer activity. Then NY Cares staff members greeted all the volunteers, gave us a brief orientation/instruction, and handed out the tools necessary for the work, paints, brushes, plastic cover sheets, gloves, etc. Because NYdV had the biggest contingent and because other groups worked mostly amongst themselves, it seemed as though it was an NYdV event. (It was rather disappointing for we had hoped to have a chance to mingle with other groups.)

As most of the NYdV volunteers had never done any painting and other such home improvements (people in Japan usually don't paint or fix things around the house by themselves), most of us had no idea how to use the tools. However, those who had were kind enough to give others instructions and demonstrations. Soon enough, all of us were up to speed and working efficiently. And as the time passed, the pace picked up.

The quarters were more spacious than expected and some of them were ready to be worked on while others were not. Therefore, we had to move furniture around and clean before we could begin. Through such inconveniences, some of us had a glimpse at what life in one of the city shelters would be like.

NYdV provided lunch for our volunteers for nominal fees. There were choices of a Japanese style box lunch or chirashi-sushi. Both were a big hit among the participants and quite a few even asked for seconds. It was a very nice, balmy day under the high, blue skies and we had lunch outside. We sat on the curbs or the side walks by of the shelter and enjoyed our delightful lunch together. We were all assigned to quarters in small numbers so it was a perfect chance to mingle with others.

After lunch, since our progress in the morning was far more than New York Cares had expected, they decided to proceed to paint three additional quarters. So we, NYdV, divided our volunteers into two groups and assigned one group to paint these three quarters and the other to clean up and tidy up the already painted quarters. By 3:00 p.m., the scheduled wrap-up time, everything had been finished. The people in charge at both the shelter and New York Cares praised us highly for the final results and our pace in accomplishing it.

It was rather disappointing that there was not an official conclusion assembly for all the volunteers who participated. As soon as the final work was done, one could leave on his or her own accord. However, NYdV held our own closing assembly and the directors of the shelter participated in it. They gave us a brief lecture about the facility, its mission, and the significance of the volunteer work, such as our wall painting. Then they gave us a chance to ask questions. At the end, we heard the voices of the people who actually run the shelter and we received high accolades and appreciation from them. Therefore, we concluded the day with fervor and satisfaction.

* Some of the Comments from the Volunteer Participants
"Though it was my first volunteer activity, I was able to enjoy myself without any reservation. Painting the walls was something I could not have done in Japan, so it was a very good experience. "

" It was also very delightful because we not only could do some volunteer work but also had a chance to learn something about the shelter. "

" I was able to participate with the consciousness that volunteering is not just self-fulfillment but is truly beneficial to others. "

" It was educational to take a peek at how people lived in a shelter. I could feel the contribution I had made even though it was only one day's activity. "

" I came without any expectations and found everyone to be very friendly and helpful. It is fantastic to see what can be accomplished when a group of people operate on a project like this! "

* Lunches Donated by
* Sushi Yasu (Chirashi Sushi) 324 West 51st St. NYC Phone: 212-765-1818
* Izakaya Natori (Box Lunch) 58 St. Marks PL Phone: 212-533-7711

* After Thoughts
Today, I saw a child's room with a respirator for an asthma patient sitting in the middle of many scattered cigarette butts. The windows and curtains of the room were all tightly shut so that things were barely visible due to the lack light. On the other hand, I saw a room where all the furniture had been tidied up in the center so that all the walls were ready to be painted. Such contrasts made me think profoundly about the people in these shelters and their lives, especially those of the children. That, in turn, made me feel as though I had a better understanding of the missions of non-profit organizations. I was also very deeply moved by the passions of every one of the NYdV volunteer s.

May23: Beautify New York(Beautify Japan: Learning Through Cleaning)

I am Michiko Iyoku, the Tankentai (a group volunteer) Captain of this volunteer activity. Today, I will be reporting on the second annual Beautify New York Day which took place on the 23^rd of May. It was organized and sponsored by an organization called Beautify Japan: Learning through Cleaning.

On that day, besides the staff members, we had eight volunteers participating through NYdV and some members of Beautify Japan ,who had just come from Japan for this event. We were to clean the kitchen and the dining room of a non-profit organization called Boys & Girls Harbor, which is located in East Harlem. After the brief lecture on the gist of cleaning, how to use some tools, and the cleaning tips, we all did our best to clean up the place.

In the kitchen, we scraped grease off the stoves, cleaned the sink and the fans, and mopped the floor. Meanwhile, in the dining room, we mopped the floor, cleaned the walls and windows, and wiped the dining room tables.

Once the cleaning was done, we gathered in the dining room and shared our thoughts. One of the NYdV volunteers spoke about the activity by saying, "It has been four years since I came to the United States, but today I have come to realize all over again how wonderful the Japanese custom is of group cleaning. I have attended both a junior-high and a high school in the United States, but students do not clean their classrooms here. If the students clean after themselves then the classrooms and the cafeterias would not be so filthy. It has been a while since I had such a fulfilling experience."

Amy (the director) and James (the chef) of Boys & Girls Harbor were very astounded with how clean the rooms looked afterward and they both were very grateful. At the closing ceremony, the gifts were exchanged. Beautify Japan gave the facility two soccer balls, the English version of their how-to-book on cleaning, and the tools used on that day. Boys & Girls Harbor, gave the facility its original baseball hats with their logo.

June 5: Special Olympics

I am Yasuko Yamaga, Program Staff of NYdV. This is a report on the athletic event "Special Olympics: Metro Tournament, which, as most know, was oriented towards the disabled.

* Opening Ceremony
The athletes participating at this tournament represented all the districts of New York City. As the opening ceremony commenced, the athletes started to file into the field. We, the NYdV volunteers and staff members, sat in the audience with the families and friends of the athletes' to give them support and encouragement. The athletes responded to us with big smiles and when we extended our hands to them they gave us lots of high-fives. Some of them even yelled out a "Wow!" or a "Yeah!" while pumping their fists. It was a very exciting march.

* Soft Ball Toss
This event was a "softball" version of the shot put. Each athlete had three chances to throw the ball with their farthest throw being recorded. We divided the volunteers into small groups and assigned them to do the various activities of escorting, measuring, recording, and awarding. First, the athletes waited in the tent until their names were called. Each time a name was called, applause and words of encouragement such as "Good luck!" welled up in the tent. As the event staff members called the names of athletes to be placed on deck, they formed a small group of three to five athletes. Our task there was to line them up and have them wait at the on-deck section until their turns came.

While waiting for their turns, we mingled with the athletes. Communication with others is very important and encouraging to them, so we asked them how they were doing, etc. They always responded with a lot of enthusiasm.

At the actual ball-tossing, we could tell that the athletes were all very serious and trying their best. After each one of them had thrown the ball, we recorded their performance. We shared the sense of accomplishment and joy that each athlete felt. We hollered out "Great Job!" and exchanged high-fives.

Before the tournament, the athletes spent eight weeks training for their events. By praising their efforts, we were confirming their progress. On the surface, this activity looked as though it was just something fun and easy for us volunteers and something trivial for the athletes. However, we were told later that even such seemingly insignificant exchanges with us would help build their confidence and their social skills.

Before the event, the organizers had told us volunteers that the most important thing for us to do that day was to "let ourselves have fun" with the athletes. We were a bit perplexed by this at the beginning, but as we spent the time and shared the excitement with the athletes, it all made sense to us. To have fun and share joy with the athletes was indeed the most important thing that we could do.

Once a group of athletes finished their tosses, we led them to the award-presenting podium. Though it was supposed to be a competition, not only the top three of the group received awards, but all participants received some kind of prize. As the athletes were awarded their prizes, our job there was to applaud and cheer while taking records. We all clapped our hands and screamed out: "Congratulations!" "Wow!" "Good job!" at the top of our lungs. As we did that, their faces lit up brightly with joy and pride. Many came to hug us and give us high-fives and many others pumped their fists with joy, excitement, and pride as though, with their whole bodies, to express, "I did my best! And everyone is praising me!"

* After thoughts
I was a little concerned in the beginning, as our job was to support the disabled. However, they were so cheerful and ardent that it seemed like I was on the receiving end of the activity; I benefited from their energy and enthusiasm. I soon came to realize that we did not have to prepare anything special mentally, but rather we only had to mingle with them as we did with others, which required no special skills on our part.

This event, the Special Olympics, was very educational for us volunteers. It is widely supported by a myriad of volunteers from all over the area and without these volunteers it could not function. By being a part of this and seeing it carried out first-hand, all of the NYdV volunteers, including all the staff members, learned so much.

*Some of the Comments from the Volunteer Participants

"The athletes were very nice, cute, and tremendous and I was able to share their excitement. Contrary to my expectations, I could feel their energy. "

" In order to enjoy our lives and live them fully, I realized how important it is for all of us to have goals or a purpose in life. "

" I had great fun mingling with the athletes. They taught me the importance of a smile. "

" I was a bit nervous, as it was my first ever volunteer experience. But since I was not alone and there were many other fellow Japanese volunteers, once we started, I was able to have fun. "

" I had an impression that we were going to do something for the sake of volunteerism and offer something for the disabled, but along the way, I started feeling that it was more like they were allowing us to have fun. "

" From discovering a world that I never knew existed, meeting people I would never meet otherwise, and seeing bright smiles on the faces of the athletes, I felt overjoyed. I learned so much from the athletes! "

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